For the Thanksgiving dinner table, we have long used chocolate “place settings,” a [confusing] name given to a party favor presented at each place setting [of flatware and dishes].

For many who follow this tradition, the place setting is a chocolate turkey. Some people add a ribbon or a tag that substitutes for a name card.

A couple of years ago, thinking “We’re all sophisticated adults,” we chose bottles of artisan maple syrup instead. The universal response: “Where’s the chocolate turkey?”

This year we’re using boxed miniature turkeys from chocolatier Larry Burdick.

Each chocolate turkey has a center of dark chocolate ganache and toasted almonds for feathers. It is enrobed in either dark or milk chocolate.

It is presented in a lovely gift box with a satin ribbon, like an edible jewel.
 
 
GET YOURS AT BURDICKCHOCOLATE.COM.

You can also purchase boxes of four turkeys.

Burdick is one of the country’s great chocolatiers; so even when it’s not a holiday, treat yourself to some.
  

Tribali foods was launched by a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian who sought to add meat back into her diet. But she wanted “clean” meats.

That meant sourcing top organic cuts: grass-fed and grass-finished pastured beef, free-range chicken and humanely raised pork.

She then created versatile, minimally-processed patties and sliders, and seasoned them global flavor combinations: herbs, purées, spices and vegetables.

The line was then frozen but the meats cook up quickly: “ready to nourish” in minutes.

Tribali fits with popular eating plans such as the Mediterranean/Greek diet, the Keto diet, the Paleo diet and the Real Foods diet.

But more importantly to us (we eat every diet) is that everything is very flavorful and nutrient-dense. We try a lot of prepared foods, and most of them are under-seasoned, requiring that we add condiments, salt or other flavor boosters.

Tribali is perfectly seasoned—so much so that we were taken by delightful surprise and immediately made them a Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
GOOD CITIZENSHIP

Animal welfare is a priority for Tribali; the supply chain is transparent.

The line is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, CCOF Certified (organic), non-GMO Certified, Paleo-Certified, and Whole 30 Approved.

There are no binders, fillers or hormones. You can feel good about what you eat.

And what you’ll eat is so delicious!
 
 
THE TRIBALI LINE

There are options for breakfast, lunch and dinner—not to mention sliders with cocktails. The line currently includes:

 
Use them to make:

 
There are recipes on the website, all of which we want to make. We especially like the sliders that use baby portabella mushroom caps instead of mini-buns.
 
 
BUY THEM

[2] A yummy Thai burger with rice noodles and a red cabbage slaw. Add a bun if you like. We added Stonefire Naan, a soft Indian flatbread; roti also works*.

[3] Ready to dig in? This burger stack was created by Primal Gourmet.

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*Both of these flatbreads, of Indian origin, look similar. The difference: Roti is typically made from whole wheat flour and is cooked either on a tawa (a flat skillet) or in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay or metal oven. Naan is made from all-purpose white flour, is leavened with yeast, and then cooked in a tandoor.

Glass rimmers, available in every color in the rainbow.

Here’s a holiday gift idea for a baker: edible fancy sprinkles from Fancy Sprinkles, a well-named company.

Yes, it’s a bit of a niche product, but the right person will be tickled pink [sprinkles], or any colors you bestow.

We’ve never seen such assortments of creative sprinkles, including eight designs just for Christmas:

 
Each is a beautiful mix of colors and shapes: not your mother’s sprinkles!

The company has done a great job of putting together colors and shapes. Everything is mixed to order.

Use the sprinkles on:

 
The sprinkles are conversation-starter—so if conversation wanes at Thanksgiving, sprinkle the gold, orange and white Pumpkin Spice collection over the pumpkin pie or the rim of your pumpkintini.

Individual jars are $5 and up, depending on the complexity of the mix.

There are gift-boxed assortments from $15 to $32, and a “sprinkles club” with a different assortment each month, seasonally-themed.

>>TAKE A LOOK!<<

November 6th is National Nachos Day. The dish was invented by accent, when customers arrived at a restaurant after the kitchen had closed. The manager, named Nacho (the diminutive of Ignacio), threw together some ingredients in the fridge to feed the folks.

The rest is history (here’s a bit more on history of nachos): a favorite snack was born. They moved from Mexican restaurants to the mainstream.

Basic nachos are so easy to make; no wonder they’re a party favorite. At their most minimal, you need tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and salsa. The next step: avocado, beans and/or refried beans, chile, cilantro, corn kernels, jalapeños, scallions, sour cream.

From there, anything goes, as we’ll demonstrate in today’s tip.
 
 
BEYOND MEXICAN INGREDIENTS

Nachos are easily adaptable to regional American flavors like barbecue, corned beef, grilled shrimp and gumbo, local cheeses, horseradish, pot roast, southern-fried chicken, Wisconsin blue cheese.

It’s easy to go global, too, as more recent menu additions include nachos with Hawaiian, Indian, Italian, Japanese and other culinary influences.

While nacho traditionalists may roll their eyes, fearless foodies might delight to a plate of nachos with prosciutto and melted gorgonzola, tiny meat balls with Bolognese and parmesan atop crunchy tortilla chips, or fresh crab and béarnaise.

“It’s all in the build,” says Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website where chefs check out national trends.

“Although nachos often look like a thrown-together pile of chips and toppings, the ones that move this trend forward are more thoughtful in [putting the ingredients together]. Not only does the balance need to be considered—between chips and cheese, savory and sweet, crunchy and soft—but the intention in the flavor play is also critical.”
 
 
THE GLOBAL NATIONAL NACHO SCENE

Flavor & The Menu took a look at how chefs around the country are interpreting nachos. You can create any of the ideas at home.

Make it today!

[1] Greek-style nachos with feta, olives and yogurt sauce at Meraki Greek Bistro in Miami (photo © Mission Foodservice).

[2] Indian lamb nachos with tamarind chutney at Chauhan Ale & Masala House in Nashville (photo © Plateline).

[3] Fried chicken nachos with pimento cheese sauce at Honey Butter in Chicago (photo © Tim Musho).

[4] Spicy chicken with the fixings on bacon-fried tortilla chips, at Party Fowl in Nashville (photo © Party Fowl).

[5] Poke nachos, fusing Hawaiian poke with seaweed, wasabi crema and wonton chips, at The Westin Princeville Kauai (photo © Westin Princeville).

[6] Portabella nachos with blue cheese and jalapeños atop blue corn tortilla chips (photo © Flavor & The Menu).

 
So let’s forget the black beans, cheddar and salsa for the moment. What’s your favorite fusion nacho?

[1] Xocoveza, a coffee stout from Stone Brewing, has been described as “a liquid Christmas cookie” (photo courtesy Gear Patrol).

[2] Amaro Obsidian Coffee Stout from Deschutes Brewery.

[3] Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing is a milk stout with coffee, although adding it to a bowl of cereal is a personal choice.

[4] The simplest nibble with a glass of stout: salted nuts (photo courtesy McCormick).

[5] Treat yourself to a coffee stout float. The recipe, from Eat Wisconsin Cheese, is below.

And if you like coffee too, we have a recipe for dessert: a coffee stout float.

There are several categories of stout, a beer that has natural coffee and chocolate flavors from the types of malt used.

 
Other variations can be developed by a particular brewer. Caraway stout, for example, includes caraway seeds in the mash.

It’s hard to pick one style from the list, so allow us to suggest a coffee stout. With the ascendancy of coffee as a craft drink in the U.S., combining it with stout is a natural.

Beyond stout, coffee can be added to every style of beer. Here’s a list of the 18 “best” coffee beers from Gear Patrol, and 27 coffee beer recommentations from Thrillist.
 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOUT

Stout is top fermented, which makes it an ale. Both stout and porter, its historic predecessor, are differentiated from conventional ale by their brown-black color, fuller body and stronger flavors.

Stout originated in Ireland, where traditional stouts are very rich, yet sharp and slightly bitter. It followed the creation of porter, a strong, dark ale, higher in alcohol, that originated in London in the early 1720s.

Large amounts of porter were subsequently exported to Ireland. By 1776, Arthur Guinness was brewing it at his St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Guinness Stout appeared by 1820.

In the 19th century, porter evolved, creating the new category of stout, meaning strong. It was first called stout porter (stronger porter); later, the porter reference was dropped.

Stout had a black color through the use of black patent malt and more roasted malts. It had a stronger in flavor than port. The alcohol level edged up, too.

This is achieved by brewing with barley that has been dark-roasted to the point of charring (think of espresso beans, compared to a medium-roast coffee). It is thus both darker and maltier than porter, has a more pronounced hop aroma, and may reach an alcoholic content of 6% to 7%.

While stout declined in popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, it has been resurrected by artisan brewers. A craft beer retailer should have a good selection.
 
 
STOUT FOOD PAIRINGS

Stout pairs well with strong, spicy and salty flavors:

If you can’t get coffee stout, use any cream/milk stout plus coffee ice cream.

The recipe follows.
 
 
RECIPE: COFFEE STOUT FLOAT

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE two scoops of ice cream in a pint glass or other large glass.

2. Slowly pour the stout over the ice cream, to fill the glass.

3. SERVE with a straw and a spoon.
 
 
CHECK OUT THE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEER
IN OUR
BEER GLOSSARY

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*Although shellfish is not strong, spicy or salty, the pairing works—especially with Irish dry stout. Serve the shellfish simply.